Anosmia
by cutekitty5597
Summary: [One-shot] Eri receives comfort from a person she didn't think could feel. [Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit]


**_[AltPrompt] -_** _A Rose by any other name_

 _ **Anosmia** (n)_ \- The loss of the sense of smell

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"I thought you weren't one for the romance genre." The Composer announces his presence into the room, although his voice displays one mood, he is tense. The last time he caught her in a bad mood, he got flung into a glass table and that wasn't at all good for his back.

"Don't worry, it's me." If they were in a better mood, they would be humored by the tension he brought into the room. Numerous visits have allowed them to read the situation; the _other_ side probably helps as well. However, in this case, the statement is laced heavy with tiredness and its owner wraps herself tighter in her blanket. Even though Joshua manages to catch the less powerful version, it doesn't mean she wants to communicate any more than before. "Also, there is a doorbell so you can ring it, not just walk into the living room."

Joshua chuckles. "You may have said that, but _she_ didn't. I got a key on our last encounter." Not that he let himself in via the front door of the apartment - it was so much easier to just appear. Instead of a scowl or a pillow thrown at his head, Eri lets out a long sigh and sinks lower into the sofa so that only the top of her head is showing.

" _She_ says that was a stupid idea and that you should give the key back." Eri's statement would have been monotone except for the slight edge, which leaves a clear message, _leave me alone._

It's not that he doesn't pick up on the hint, it would take someone as oblivious as Beat to miss such a clear message, but Joshua isn't someone to be pushed away. "So you can communicate with _her_ now?" Moving around the back of the sofa, he perches himself on the seat next to Eri, ignoring the sappy rom-com that is the only light source of the room.

"She says, you should mind your own business." Joshua catches something in Eri's glare which almost makes him back off; the table incident is still fresh in his mind and the dual personalities could shift at any moment. "Sometimes," huffing, the teenage girl becomes more present especially since she's not meeting his eye now, "when _she_ wants to cooperate, it's fairly easy but…" Joshua doesn't need her to finish the sentence, since he has been the one to deal with the situations when _she_ didn't want to cooperate.

"So, what is the matter?" the question takes Eri by surprise and even breaks her eye contact with the TV to give the composer a startled look before it narrows down to a bitter glare. "Why? You don't care." It was half a statement, half an accusation.

"I don't." Eri scoffs, not offended as such, just slightly irate that he's wasting her time. Before he loses her attention Joshua continues, "but, the more negative feelings you gather the mor-"

"The more noise that gathers around me, which can cause the RG and UG to be unstable, yady ya," Eri cuts him off, she has heard this lecture over and over again from a variety of people. "I'm going to see Mr H on Monday to get more pins to stabilize…this." Gesturing to herself she unravels her cocoon so her hands are in her lap, "So calm down prissy wings."

He ignores the _flattering_ nickname, it is one _she_ came up with and the last time he tried to argue with it…they had a lot of collateral damage. Speaking of collateral, Joshua glances at Eri who seems a lot more relaxed than before, which is good news since the recent havoc over Shibuya is leaving him fairly drained.

"I got in a fight with Shiki," her voice is muffled by the annoying optimistic backing track of the movie and Joshua sort of wishes he hadn't heard it; he isn't in the mood to be a therapist but he owes her a bit for what he has and is going to do. Also it will help to stabilize Shibuya so create less work for him.

Considering he hasn't poofed out of the flat and is at least feigning interest Eri continues. "I really," her voice wavers but as if in hell she would start crying in front the smug bastard, "I really hurt her."

The short laugh is not the reassurance she thinks, and needs to come, whipping her head to the boy she opens her mouth to start shouting he holds up his hands. "Stop getting your diaper in a twist," Eri mutters something about how _she_ hates that image of her and Joshua smirks; _she_ had to get something after 'Prissy Wings.'

"Remember what Mr H said, _her_ actions are not your fault, you are not in control." He drones on, at least this problem was easy to solve and then he can be on his way.

"But _she_ wasn't!" The outburst surprises the Composer, and Eri bites her trembling lip. "It was me, I was in control. What best friend hurts theirs intentionally?" Her voice breaking towards the end, Eri switches her gaze to her lap, refusing to let him see the tears pricking at her eyes.

It's a rare moment for Joshua to be lost for words and here is such one, even though in the larger scheme of things it isn't that disastrous but it signaled something a lot bigger. "She's changing me, I can feel it. I'm no longer myself." The choked ramblings do give Joshua sometime to think of a response and what he thinks of seems entirely useless.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Eri's shaky breathing comes to a stop, of all the things he could say, he comes up with a pick up line? _She_ also agrees with Eri, the Composer has gone batshit crazy.

"You should be doing your research"

Confusing the girl brings a smirk to his face, now this is amusing. "Romeo and Juliet, the world's most famous love story."

"You mean a bunch of stupid idiots that get everyone killed." Voice steadying, Eri can feel recognition from _her_ , well at least someone knows the stupid quote. Joshua can't disagree with the pinkette, it isn't the best tale the bard told but that was beside the point.

"It means that the name doesn't affect what it really is inside," taking a breath and, in order to keep the girl quiet, reducing his patronizing tone, "so whatever happens you are still going to be you at your core and Shiki will understand that and forgive you. She is a very good judge of character and she won't give up so easily."

Eri's face lightens up and she lets out a long breath, "When did you get a degree in therapy?" she jokes letting out a crooked grin. She still has to sort out the situation with Shiki but having a little bit of hope goes a long way.

"Why, I need to pass the time with something." A feeling starts to creep up in Joshua and it takes a while to identify - _guilt_. It would be a fool's hope to wish for the outcome that he has just described but in order for Eri to continue she needs hope. She needs an eye of the storm in the hell that she is about to face.

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 ***Waves* So this is my first entry for TSOS 2016, I'm so happy that I get to participate this year and that I'm 4 weeks late and that this a complete self plug for a TWEWY fic I'm planning to write soon called Cat's Cradle . I say soon cause I have started the first chapter but I really wanted to write these two in this setting and I couldn't resist this prompt.**

 **See you soon.**

 **~Tash**


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